Okay after speaking to one of the senior FAA Safety Inspectors we discussed what I and other professional photographers do. I explained to him about the two harnesses that I have and the tethers. He told me (after discussions with people back east) that as long as I am using a harness with either a quick release system such as the CASA approved one I mentioned previously that I can manually action myself without the involvement of anyone else and it must be within reach of myself, OR I have on a harness with a quick release device on the tether system that is also within reach of myself and not operated by anyone else, then as far as FAA is concerned I am ok to fly.
He explained that some within FAA were surprised at that notice coming out as a lot of the key FAA people had not been consulted about who would be caught up in this ruling and who wouldn't be. I asked him did each operator we flew with have to get specific approval by the FAA/FSDO and he said no, as long as the operator is comfortable with the quick release mechanisim I am using they are ok with it. He told me he looks at it as long as the "system" has a quick release option not just a harness.